Webster company started from son of German immigrants

• Struck lent his handiwork to homes all over the city of Rochester. He was eventually joined by his son, Charles.

Talk about history. Property damage specialists, Struck and Sons, have roots in a construction business founded over a hundred years ago.

The son of German immigrants, Leonard J. Struck started working as a builder at the turn of the 20th century, before establishing his own company in 1914.

Almost a decade later in 1923, Struck purchased an expansive tract of land southeast of the intersection of East and Winton Ave to build the housing subdivision that now bears his name — Struckmar.

Described in an advertisement as a “Rochester residential park for homes of gentlefolk,” Struckmar, which opened in 1926, boasted an impressive assortment of two-story American and Continental-style houses in a quiet, pastoral setting.

Following the completion of the successful Brighton development, Struck lent his handiwork to homes all over the city of Rochester. He was eventually joined by his son, Charles.

By the 1940s, the pair had begun taking on occasional property damage projects in addition to their regular construction jobs.

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Realizing that property damage repair was a relatively untapped market at the time, the Strucks withdrew from the general contracting field to focus on the new line of work full-time.

They soon became local experts in restoring homes that had been damaged by fire, wind and water.

Charles Struck’s son, Richard, started helping out at the company in the late 1960s, when he was just 14 years-old. He has been with Struck and Sons ever since. Initially, Richard took to the job because he liked working with his hands.

“But as I got older...I learned that the personal relationships you create with people is very important. The fact that you’re helping people out, I liked that and I found it quite challenging,” he said.

Today, Richard co-owns the Webster-based business with his nephew, Jeff Struck, and son-in-law, Ben Cook.

Ben Cook, who had worked construction in his native England before relocating to the United States, believes that what makes this line of work different from general contracting is the emotional ties one develops with clients.

“When people suffer damage to their property and their belongings it can be almost traumatic, and what we offer is far more than a building service… we hold their hands through the whole process and make sure that they’re happy, and they’re able to rebuild their lives once we’ve finished,” Cook said.

Richard Struck concurs, noting that the level of commitment that the company makes to its clients has resulted in some life-long relationships.

“I end up with a lot of friends after doing these jobs,” he explained. “I continually keep close ties with them…because you get really involved with these people for quite a while.”

If all goes according to plan, Struck and Sons will be forging ties and rebuilding lives for many years to come.

Emily Morry is a Rochester-area freelance writer.

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